Individual beverage containers or bottles have been popular for many years. They provide an easy storage and carrying container for a beverage. The individual bottle provides one serving for the user. The serving would be comparable to a large glass of the beverage. The individual bottle is advantageous in a number of settings because it provides one serving of the beverage and a container therefor. Originally after use the bottle was thrown away. More recently these bottles are recyclable.
Most individual juice bottles sold in North America are wide-mouthed bottles, that is the mouth of the bottle is larger than one would typically find on a pop-type bottle. The disadvantage of the wide-mouthed bottles is that drinking may be somewhat problematic. Specifically, the wide mouth is generally too wide to put one's mouth around entirely and yet too narrow to allow one to drink from it in a manner used when drinking from a cup.
In order to address this problem drinking straws are frequently available at the point of purchase. The use of a drinking straw reduces the chance of accidentally spilling the beverage while drinking. In addition young people seem to find drinking easier and more fun when using a straw.
Although straws are often made available at the point of purchase this is not typically the case when the beverage is sold at a vending machine. Further, retailers may run out of the straws before they run out of the beverage. In addition, where the consumer does not drink the beverage directly after purchasing it, the straw may be lost or damaged. Further, where the consumer does not drink the entire beverage at one time, if removed, the straw can become lost or can contaminate the consumer's other packages.
Some bottles which provide straws therein have been suggested. For example U.S. Pat. No. 2,748,968 issued to Attler on Jun. 5, 1956, U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,197 issued to Sather on Jul. 17, 1973 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,132 issued to Allen on Dec. 9, 1947 each shows a bottle with a straw therein. Each of these has a straw which extends above the mouth of the bottle and a cap which is modified to allow the straw to extend above the mouth of the bottle even when the cap is in position. The straw shown in the Allen patent extends out of the mouth of the bottle and then is wrapped around the neck of the bottle. In addition the Allen patent shows a small straw positioned adjacent to the straw and provides an air vent therefor.
Another prior art jar that has been suggested is U.S. Pat. No. 2,175,735 issued to Banks on Oct. 10, 1939. The Banks patent shows a jar which includes a dish which is positioned in the mouth of the jar and which holds such elements as a spoon, a fork or a straw. The dish has a laterally extending flange which rests on the mouth of the jar or an inner lip thereof. The dish is provided with an aperture and a collar or neck to hold the spoon, fork or straw. The dish is not securely positioned in the mouth of the jar rather it merely rests on the mouth of the jar. Further, the cap of the jar must be modified to accommodate the dish positioned in the mouth of the jar.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,052,307 issued to Kennedy on Aug. 25, 1936 shows another prior art beverage container and dispenser. The Kennedy patent shows a container which is preferably made from waterproof or waxed paper. The container includes a pair of long straws which extend through the cap of the container. A pair of telescoping small straws is positioned in the cap and each long straw extends through one of the small straws such that it can freely move up and down. Each long straw has a closure cap or small cork.
Another prior art beverage container is suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,331 issued to Grisham et al. on Dec. 13, 1966. The Grisham et al. patent shows a flexible straw holder. The straw holder is positioned in the neck of the beverage container. The straw holder includes a lower highly flexible portion having the straw positioned therein and an upper portion which snugly fits in the neck of the beverage container. The straw holder has a closed position wherein the upper end of the straw is below the mouth of the beverage container and an in use position wherein the upper end of the straw extends above the mouth of the beverage container. An object of this invention is that when the beverage container is opened the gas pressure will force the straw into the in use position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,844,267 issued to Petriccione on Jul. 22, 1958 shows a combined drinking straw and bottle cap. The bottle cap includes a gasket with the straw positioned therein, a crown portion with a slot formed therein and liner. The cap is not removable and replaceable. Rather a portion of the liner is torn back to provide access to the straw.
Another prior art patent is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,870 issued to Elston on Mar. 9, 1971. The Elston patent shows a plastic bottle with a cup positioned in the mouth thereof and crimped thereto. The cup is made of foil or other suitable material which would allow it to be crimped to the mouth of the bottle. The cup has an aperture formed therein for receiving a straw. The enlarged aperture allows the user to pour the contents of the bottle into a receptacle without removing the straw if the user so chooses.
Most of these prior art containers have a similar disadvantage and that is that they would be difficult to incorporate into the high automated bottling process that is generally used today. For example many of the prior art jars discussed above would require the cap to be modified and this in turn might require the machine that attaches the cap to be modified as well. Some of the straw holders are not secured in the neck of the bottle and thus will not minimize spillage if the beverage container is knocked over. Alternatively some of the straw holders do not have the straw securely positioned therein and therefore allow liquid to seep out around the straw if the beverage container is knocked over.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a bottle with a straw already therein which is readily accessible and easy to use. Similarly it would be advantageous to provide a bottle with a stopper therein which minimizes the chance of spillage while drinking. Further, it would be advantageous to provide a stopper that would not interfere with the sealing mechanisms of existing jars and that could be easily incorporated into the automatic bottling process currently generally being used.